Apple has terminated the developer account of Epic Games – the maker of Fortnite – with which it’s engaged in a pitched legal battle. This means that even owners of previously purchased series like Infinity Blade can’t re-download the games.
Apple had already removed Fortnite from the store after the game offered a discount on its virtual currency for purchases made outside of the app, from which Apple receives a 30% cut. Today was the deadline for Epic to return Fortnite to the App store without the alternate-payment system.
We are disappointed that we have had to terminate the Epic Games account on the App Store, Apple said in a statement. We have worked with the team at Epic Games for many years on their launches and releases.
The court recommended that Epic comply with the App Store guidelines while their case moves forward, guidelines they’ve followed for the past decade until they created this situation. Epic has refused. Instead, they repeatedly submit Fortnite updates designed to violate the guidelines of the App Store. This is not fair to all other developers on the App Store and is putting customers in the middle of their fight.
We hope that we can work together again in the future, but unfortunately, that is not possible today.
Looking ahead, this means you can’t download Fortnite on any iOS device, even if you’ve downloaded it before, nor any other of Epic Games’ mobile offerings. It does not, however, affect its secondary developer account for Unreal Engine.
Earlier this week the two companies met in court, and a judge ruled that Apple was within its rights to remove Fortnite from the App Store, but the company could not pull apps that use the Unreal Enigne, technology created by Epic that is licensed by other developers.
Apple and Epic will meet again in court on September 28 for a full hearing.
